SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform that integrates natively with Microsoft 365 (previously, Microsoft Office). Launched in 2001, SharePoint is primarily sold as a document management and storage system. However the product is highly configurable, and its usage varies substantially among organizations, from sharing information through intranets to internal apps implementing business processes through workflows.
According to Microsoft, SharePoint had over 200 million users.
There are various editions of SharePoint which have different functions.
It was a free version with very basic functionalities, discontinued in 2016.
Microsoft SharePoint Standard is a software product that extends the function of Microsoft SharePoint Foundation in several areas:
Sites: Audience targeting, governance tools, secure store service, and web analytics.
Communities: 'MySites' (personal profiles including skills management and search tools), enterprise wikis, organization hierarchy browser, tags, and notes.
Content: Improved tooling and compliance for document and record management, word automation services, and content management.
Search: Better search results, search customization, mobile search, 'Did you mean?', OS search integration, Faceted Search, and metadata/relevancy/date/location-based refinement options.
Composites: Pre-built workflow templates and Business Connectivity Services (BCS) profile pages.
SharePoint Standard licensing includes a CAL (client access license) component and a server fee. It can also be licensed through a cloud model.
SharePoint Server is a product offered by Microsoft that provides organizations with greater control over the behavior and design of the SharePoint. Unlike SharePoint Online, which is a cloud based service, SharePoint Server is installed on the customers' IT infrastructure, giving them greater customization and control over the platform.
SharePoint Server comes in two editions: Standard and Enterprise. The standard edition provides basic features for document management, collaboration, and content management.